On 27/04/2021 10.23, Michael Hamilton wrote:

On Tuesday 27 April 2021, Doug McGarrett wrote:

I need to boot into my crashed Tumbleweed system to copy some files
onto a second ssd within the computer. I have several install disks from
different dates, including one from a couple of days ago. I would be
happier if the boot disk does NOT include an installation, since I'm
afraid I might wipe some of the data off the existing crashed drive.
I have two different Linux systems and Windows 10 available to do
the job. I have looked on Google, but most of the information there
is designed to install a system. I
I am assuming that if I can boot a Linux system from CD that I can
then read the internal drive and copy files to another drive. If I'm
wrong, then what do you suggest?
Please keep it as simple as possible, I'm not a guru!
Thanx--doug

A bit of googling on the opensuse rescue boot will lead to pages
such as:

https://doc.opensuse.org/documentation/leap/archive/42.1/startup/html/book.opensuse.startup/cha.trouble.html#sec.trouble.data.recover.rescue

As described in the above, use/make an install dvd/usb-stick and
boot it into rescue mode.  You can then use the mount command
on the rescue media to mount the crashed drive's partitions,
perhaps using -o ro to mount to mount them readonly.  You
can then also mount any destination partitions and do the copy.

Huh, better not use the installation disk in rescue mode because it is "text mode" and will confuse the hell out of Doug.

Better use the specific XFCE Rescue CD/USB stick, which is designed for the purpose and runs a full graphical desktop (without install option).